KDOV Pattern Operations

Coordinate pattern work with Dover AFB Tower

8

Time Blocks Daily

2 hr

Per Block

3

AC / Block

WHAT IS THIS

The KDOV Pattern Operations system lets visiting units request and coordinate pattern work at Dover AFB without phone tag or back-and-forth emails.

Submit your request through the public form. Tower Training Team supervisors review it, and once they decide, they'll send you an official email from a tower address. There are no automated emails — you'll see your reference number on screen when you submit.

HOW IT WORKS — IN ONE MINUTE

1

SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST

Fill out the form with unit, callsign, aircraft, date, and time block. Provide a POC email so we can reach you.

2

SAVE YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER

Format: KDOV-XXXX-XXXX. You'll receive it both on screen and via email. Keep it — you'll need it to check status or cancel.

3

WAIT FOR REVIEW

A Dover Tower supervisor will approve or reject your request. You'll receive an email with the decision.

4

FLY YOUR PATTERN

Once approved, contact Tower on frequency at the start of your time block. The supervisor's confirmation email will have any specific instructions.

QUICK REFERENCE

⏱ TIME BLOCKS

Eight 2-hour windows per day, in Zulu time. Each block can hold up to 3 aircraft. Pick a block that fits your sortie window.

🎯 STATUSES

Pending awaiting review
Confirmed approved — you're cleared
Rejected see reason in email

📧 STAY REACHABLE

Provide a POC email that's actively monitored. All decisions and updates come through email.

📅 SUBMIT EARLY

Submit at least 24 hours ahead when possible. Tower needs lead time to coordinate with other traffic and operations.

FILLING OUT THE FORM

The form has clearly marked required fields (red asterisks). Here's what each field expects:

Unit / Organization *

Your home unit designation. Examples: 305 AMW, 514 AMW, 166 AW. Use the standard military unit designation, not a nickname.

Call Sign *

Your assigned callsign for this sortie. Examples: JINX, JEDI, HUSKY. If your unit has multiple callsigns, use the specific one for this flight.

Aircraft *

Standard aircraft designation. Examples: C-17, C-130, KC-135, C-5.

Flight Rules *

Choose what applies to your sortie:

VFR — Visual Flight Rules
IFR — Instrument Flight Rules
VFR/IFR — mixed approaches planned
TAAD — Terminal Area Arrival Departure (requires LOA)
NVD — Night Vision Device operations (requires LOA)

POC Phone

Optional but recommended. DSN or commercial. Used if Tower needs to reach you urgently before the flight.

POC Email *

Required. This is where the Tower's official decision email will go once a supervisor reviews your request. Use a real address you check. No automated emails are sent at submission — your reference number appears on screen instead.

Date *

The calendar date of your sortie (in your local time). The system handles Zulu time block selection separately.

Time Block *

Choose one of the 2-hour blocks. Times are shown in both Zulu and local. Pick the block that contains your planned pattern work window.

LOA on file

Check this if your unit has a Letter of Agreement on file with Dover Tower. Required for TAAD and NVD operations.

NVG capable

Check if the aircraft and crew are NVG-capable. Helps Tower plan for night/low-light operations.

Additional notes

Free-form field. Use this for: special equipment, training objectives, formation requests, specific approach types, anything Tower should know.

⚠️ Once submitted, the form data cannot be edited. If you make a mistake, you'll need to cancel the original request (via the email link) and submit a new one. So double-check before clicking Submit.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CLICK SUBMIT

1

REQUEST SAVED

Your request goes into the system with status Pending

2

REFERENCE NUMBER GENERATED

A unique KDOV-XXXX-XXXX code appears on screen. Save it.

3

SAVE YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER

A confirmation window appears on screen with your reference number. Write it down or screenshot it — there is no automated email at this stage. You'll use this reference number to check status or cancel.

4

SUPERVISOR NOTIFIED

Tower Training Team gets notified. Review usually happens during normal duty hours.

YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER

Every request gets a unique reference number that looks like this:

KDOV-7K2P-3M8X

This 8-character code (in KDOV-XXXX-XXXX format) is how the system identifies your specific request. It's case-insensitive and has no special meaning beyond being unique.

Where you'll see it

On screen immediately after you click Submit — this is the only place it's automatically shown to you
In the Tower's official decision email once a supervisor reviews and replies

What you can do with it

Check status — type it into the "Look up status" field on the mirror page anytime
Reference in emails — when contacting Tower, include the reference number for fast lookup
Cancel — copy the cancel link shown on the confirmation page after submission; or look up the request and use the cancel option

        💡 Save it as soon as you submit. Screenshot the confirmation, write it on your kneeboard, drop it in a calendar event, or copy it into your sortie planning folder. There is no automated email backup — the on-screen confirmation is the source of truth until the Tower's decision email arrives.
      

If you lose it

Contact Tower directly with your unit, callsign, and intended date — they can look up your request in their system.

CHECKING REQUEST STATUS

Two ways to check where your request stands:

1. The mirror page lookup

Go to mirror.kdovtower.com, scroll to "Check Request Status," type your reference number, click "Look up status." You'll see current status plus all the request details.

2. Watch your email

Once the Tower Training Team reviews your request, a supervisor will send you an email with the decision from a tower address (typically within 1–2 business days). Make sure your POC email is monitored — there are no automated emails before this point.

UNDERSTANDING THE STATUSES

Pending

Awaiting supervisor review. Normal turnaround is during duty hours. Don't assume anything — wait for the decision email.

Confirmed

Approved. Your slot is reserved. The official confirmation email will have any special instructions. Show up on frequency at the start of your time block.

Rejected

Not approved. The rejection email will include a reason — usually capacity, timing conflict, or operational restriction. Common rejection reasons:

"Block at capacity. Try [different block] instead."
"Runway closure planned for that window."
"Operational restriction — contact Tower directly."

If rejected, you can submit a new request for a different time block.

Cancelled

Either you cancelled via the email link, or Tower cancelled it. Cancelled requests don't return to active status — submit a new one if needed.

EMAILS YOU WILL RECEIVE

Only one email is sent — the Tower's official decision once a supervisor reviews your request:

✓ APPROVAL

If approved, the supervisor sends you a confirmation email from a tower address. May include specific instructions or notes.

✕ REJECTION

If not approved, the supervisor sends you a rejection email with a reason — usually capacity, timing conflict, or operational restriction.

⚠️ No automated emails. There is no acknowledgment email at submission, no automated approval, no cancellation confirmation. The Tower's decision email comes from a supervisor's tower account once your request is reviewed — usually within 1–2 business days. Save your reference number on screen at submission; that's your record until the official email arrives.

HOW TO CANCEL A REQUEST

The cancel link is shown on the on-screen confirmation right after you submit. Save it at submission time — it's the fastest way to cancel later.

Method 1 — Saved cancel link (fastest)

1

OPEN YOUR SAVED CANCEL LINK

If you copied the cancel link from the on-screen confirmation when you submitted, just open it.

2

PROVIDE A REASON

A short reason helps Tower plan. Examples: "Maintenance issue", "Mission change", "Weather diversion".

3

CONFIRM

Once confirmed, your slot is freed. The on-screen confirmation tells you the cancellation succeeded — no email is sent.

Method 2 — Look up by reference number

If you didn't save the cancel link, you can still cancel:

1

GO TO MIRROR.KDOVTOWER.COM

Open the public form page.

2

USE "CHECK REQUEST STATUS"

Enter your reference number and look it up. The status page includes a cancel option.

⚠️ Cancel as early as possible when plans change. Last-minute cancellations make it harder for Tower to fill the slot with another unit.

CHANGING A REQUEST

The system does NOT support editing existing requests. If you need to change something:

Cancel the original request (using your saved link or status lookup)
Submit a new request with the corrected info
Note: you'll get a new reference number — old one is no longer valid

        💡 Minor info changes (e.g., a typo in callsign): If your request hasn't been reviewed yet, contact Tower directly — they can sometimes correct minor details on their end without requiring you to cancel and resubmit.
      

IF YOU LOST YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER

If you didn't save your reference number and need to find it:

Contact Tower directly with your unit, callsign, and intended date — they can look it up in their system
For future submissions, screenshot the on-screen confirmation immediately or copy the reference number into your sortie planning notes

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How far in advance can I submit a request?

There's no hard limit, but submitting more than a few weeks ahead increases the chance that operational changes will affect your block. A sweet spot is 3-7 days before the flight.

How long until I get a decision?

Most requests are reviewed during normal duty hours. Submissions on weekends or evenings will be reviewed the next duty day. There's no SLA, but if you haven't heard back within 24-48 hours of duty time, contact Tower directly.

Can I submit multiple requests for the same day?

Yes. Each request is independent. Submit one for each time block you want, with separate reference numbers. They're reviewed individually.

Is there a limit on how many aircraft per block?

Default is 3 aircraft per 2-hour block. If your request would exceed that, you may receive a rejection or be asked to choose a different block.

What if my request is for night operations?

Pick the appropriate Zulu time block. Check NVG capable if applicable. For NVD operations specifically, you must have an LOA on file — check that box.

Can I request a specific runway?

Use the Additional Notes field to specify preferences. Tower will accommodate where possible, but final runway selection depends on winds and traffic at the time.

Do I still need to coordinate by phone?

Submitting through the form replaces the back-and-forth phone calls for routine pattern coordination. For unusual requests (formations, special procedures, last-minute changes), call Tower directly in addition to submitting the form.

What time zone is everything in?

Time blocks are shown in both Zulu (UTC) and Local (Eastern). Pick based on your sortie's planned time. The Date field uses calendar date in your local time.

My .mil network blocks kdovtower.com. What do I do?

Use request.kdov-scheduler.workers.dev instead. Same form, same data, different URL that works on Air Force networks.

Who runs this system?

The 436 OSS Tower Training Team at Dover AFB. For questions, issues, or special requests not covered by this guide, contact kdov.scheduler@kdovtower.com or call Dover Tower directly.